Optical power sources used for optical sensors, communication and data transfer networks commonly use light emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes (LDs). The laser devices produce laser beams that consist of visible light, or invisible infrared rays and some laser diodes produce light emissions that are so intense that environmental protection needs to be provided to safeguard the users of the laser devices. The LEDs and LDs serve as sources of optical energy, for optical circuits. This energy is modulated, by some physical phenomena, to change the original optical intensity or wavelength content. Optical wavelengths, measured in nanometers (nm), extend the range from 200 nm to 1500 nm with the visible spectrum occupying the range between 380 nm and 760 nm. The operating wavelength for the optical circuits is generally determined by the source wavelength, detector reception band, and the transfer characteristics of the waveguides used. The waveguides can be optical fibers or freespace. As will be described hereinafter, one of the advantages of the present invention is that the optical source is always present as long as the combustion process, associated with the present invention, is active as opposed to LEDs and LDs which can malfunction due to the failure of the semiconductors that generate the optical energy, or the failure of the power supply that is required for the operation of the LEDs and/or LDs.
Applications using this invention require a combustion chamber that provides the source of optical energy for the optical circuits served. Various usages of light emissions created by a combustion chamber are already known in the art, such as described in the following nine (9) U.S. Patents, all of which are herein incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,412,446; 4,446,723; 5,374,822; 5,384,467; 5,446,279; 5,505,177; 5,544,478; 5,599,179; and 5,659,133. It is desired that the light emissions available within a combustible chamber be utilized and conditioned so as to provide for an optical light source not having the need for backup components or for a protective environment such as those required for LDs.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide for optical power extracted from engine combustion chambers to provide optical light sources for optical sensors and for optical communication and data transfer networks.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide means that utilize the light emissions available in a combustion chamber but adapts the light spectrum thereof to more readily match the needs of optical networks.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide for various embodiments of collection architectures that attach to the combustion chamber, whose purpose it is, to collect the optical energy generated in the combustion chamber.